Join the Atwood House and Museum for an exciting lecture about the first eleven-day, manned orbital flight of the Apollo 7, a command module. The ocean recovery of the astronauts will also be discussed and explained. Apollo 7 was the first mission of its kind for the United States Apollo Program. This lecture will be given by former U.S. Naval Commander Don Broderick, who happened to be one of the helicopter pilots to recover the American astronauts from their ocean landing.

Don Broderick graduated from Topsfield High School and went on to attend The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Once he realized that he’d rather be a pilot than a performer of Beethoven Piano Sonatas, he was accepted into the Navy’s Flight Training in Pensacola, FL, he received his wings in 1966. His 23 years of Naval service included 5,000 flight hours, qualified in a number of single engine and multi-engine aircrafts, as well as a half dozen helicopters. CDR Broderick retired in 1988, and soon went into industry as a quality manager and corporate pilot. Retiring again in 2012, he moved permanently to Chatham and volunteers at the Atwood House & Museum as an archivist and lecture committee chair, and also teaches piano privately in his home. Don is married to his wife Anne, they have three daughters and eight grandchildren.

Tickets are available at the door. Doors open at 1:15 pm and seating is limited.Admission: $10, Members are Free